Concetti Chiave
- The Black Death in 1348 drastically reduced England's population, leading to higher wages for surviving laborers and the decline of the feudal system.
- The emergence of freemen and increased sheep farming marked a shift in England's economy, with the wool trade gaining significance.
- The Lollardy movement, led by John Wycliffe, challenged the Church's authority and foreshadowed the 16th-century Reformation, though it was eventually suppressed.
- Peasant rebellions against rising taxes occurred during Richard II's reign, but were violently quashed.
- The growing middle class, including wealthy merchants and land-investing freemen known as "yeomen," played a significant role in society, forming guilds to regulate trades and prices.
In 1348 plague ( also called “Black Death) spread all over the England, killing one third of its population. The surviving laborers were then much needed and so they could ask for higher wages. This was the beginning of a change in the social structure, the end of the feudal system. Peasant became freemen, more and more land was used for sheep farming and the wool trade became more and more important.
What was the impact of religious reform and rebellion?
During Edward the first reined criticism to the wealth and corruption of the church grew. The Lollardy was the first religious reformist movement. It attacked the power of the Church and its worldliness under the leadership of John Wycliffe. The Lollards anticipated the reformation of the 16th century, but the movement was crashed and its leader were executed under Richard the second (1367-1339) who succeeded Edward the third. During his reign the peasants rebel against the growing taxes, but their rebellion was repressed in blood.
Rise of the middle class
The Middle class was constantly growing. Merchants became richer, some of them even loaned money to the king for merchants. Some freemen had invested their money in land. They were called “yeomen”. The work of many craftsmen was required by the cloth making industry: Spinners, Weavers, Dyers, but also others were important in the society: butchers, bakers, smiths, shoemakers, tailors and carpenters. They organised themselves in group called “guilds”. Which had the tasked of controlling price and wages, organising fairs and apprenticeship. The guild were also responsible for the staging of some religious place, which were the first form of medieval drama.
Domande da interrogazione
- How did the Black Death influence the social structure in England?
The Black Death in 1348 led to the death of one-third of England's population, resulting in a labor shortage. Surviving laborers could demand higher wages, marking the decline of the feudal system and the rise of freemen. This shift also increased the importance of sheep farming and the wool trade.
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